Vehicle too and parts holding tray

ABSTRACT

A tool and parts holding tray comprises a tray portion and at least two brackets. The tray portion comprises a bottom plate and side walls, the bottom plate and the sidewalls forming a receiving portion on one side of the bottom plate. The at least two brackets are attached to the tray portion on another side of the bottom plate, and are adapted for accommodating a portion of a vehicle. The brackets may be non-parallel to each other. Thus, a driver, rider, or a technician for a vehicle such as a motorcycle, a quad or three wheeler dirt bike, a street bike, a dual sport bike, snowmobile, personal watercraft and the like can put and get things like tools, parts, hardware, accessories, etc. within hands reach of the vehicle while repairing or inspecting the vehicle. A method of holding a tool or part to a portion of a vehicle.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.61/094,760, filed Sep. 5, 2008, which is incorporated herein byreference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

1. Field

The present application relates to a container that can be mounted on avehicle, such as a motorcycle, a quad or three wheeler dirt bike, astreet bike, a dual sport bike, snowmobile, personal watercraft, etc.

2. Description of the Related Technology

In general, when a driver, rider, or a technician for a vehicle such asa motorcycle, a quad or three wheeler dirt bike, a street bike, a dualsport bike, snowmobile, personal watercraft, etc. is repairing orinspecting the vehicle, the driver, rider, or technician needs to getaccess to things like tools, parts, hardware, accessories, etc. withinhands reach of the vehicle. These items are generally put on the groundor directly on the seat of the vehicle, which makes it inconvenient toget access to these things or they may roll off the seat into the dirtor under shop cabinetry. Sometimes parts are lost. Therefore, there is aneed in the art to provide a device such that a driver, rider, or atechnician for a vehicle such as a motorcycle, a quad or three wheelerdirt bike, a street bike, a dual sport bike, snowmobile, personalwatercraft, etc. can get access to things like tools, parts, hardware,accessories, etc. within hands reach of the vehicle while the driver,rider, or technician is repairing or inspecting the vehicle.

SUMMARY

To fill this need, in certain embodiments, a seat mountable tool andparts holding tray is provided. The tool and parts holding tray maycomprise a tray portion and one or more brackets extending from thebottom of the tray portion. The tray portion comprises a bottom plateand side walls, the bottom plate and the sidewalls forming a receivingportion on one side of the bottom plate. The brackets are attached tothe tray portion on another side of the bottom plate, and are adaptedfor accommodating a portion of a vehicle, e.g., a seat of the vehicle.The brackets may extend non-parallel to each other. In some embodiments,the bracket positions may be adjustable.

In certain embodiments, a method of holding a tool or part to a portionof a vehicle is provided. The method may comprise resting a tool andparts holding tray on the portion of the vehicle. The tool and partsholding tray may comprise a tray portion and at least two brackets. Thetray portion comprises a bottom plate and side walls. The bottom plateand the sidewalls form a receiving portion on one side of the bottomplate. The at least two brackets are attached to the tray portion onanother side of the bottom plate. The method may additionally compriseaccommodating the portion of the vehicle with the at least two brackets.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In this disclosure:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a seat mountable tool and parts holdingtray according to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the seat mountable tool and parts holdingtray as illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of a seat mountable tool and parts holding trayaccording to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4A is a sectional view of a seat mountable tool and parts holdingtray according to a further embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4B illustrates examples of holes or openings formed on a segment offlat extension of the seat mountable tool and parts holding tray asillustrated in FIG. 4A;

FIG. 5 is an illustration of a seat mountable tool and parts holdingtray that has been mounted on a vehicle;

FIG. 6 is another illustration of a seat mountable tool and partsholding tray that has been mounted on another vehicle; and

FIG. 7 is an illustration of a vehicle being inspected, onto which atool and parts holding tray has been mounted.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

The following description is directed to certain embodiments of theinvention. However, the invention can be embodied in a multitude ofdifferent ways. It should be apparent that the embodiments herein may beembodied in a wide variety of forms and that any specific structure,function, or both being disclosed herein is merely representative. Anembodiment disclosed herein may be implemented independently of anyother embodiments and two or more of these embodiments may be combinedin various ways. For example, an apparatus may be implemented using anynumber of the embodiments set forth herein. In addition, such anapparatus may be implemented using other structure, functionality, orstructure and functionality in addition to or other than one or more ofthe embodiments set forth herein.

In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises a tray portion and at leasttwo brackets, which may project like fins from the tray portion.Brackets of other shapes are also feasible. The tray portion comprises abottom plate and side walls. The bottom plate and the sidewalls form areceiving portion for receiving things like tools, parts, hardware,accessories, etc. The brackets are attached to the tray portion on thebottom, and are adapted for accommodating a portion of a vehicle,preferably a seat of a motorcycle, a quad or three wheeler dirt bike, astreet bike, a dual sport bike, snowmobile, personal watercraft, etc.The at least two brackets are preferably non-parallel to each other inlengthwise extent and can accommodate various seats or other portions ofdifferent makes and models of vehicle. Using such a tool and partsholding tray, a driver, rider, or a technician for a vehicle such as amotorcycle, a quad or three wheeler dirt bike, a street bike, a dualsport bike, snowmobile, personal watercraft, etc. can put and get thingslike tools, parts, hardware, accessories, etc. in and from an enclosedor unenclosed but easily accessible place within hands reach of thevehicle while repairing or inspecting the vehicle. Such an apparatusprevents loss or misplacement of critical hardware and centralizes toolsand hardware for timely adjustments and repair. The foregoing advantagesmake vehicle maintenance much easier.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a tool and parts holding tray accordingto one embodiment of the present invention. As illustrated in FIG. 1,the tool and parts holding tray comprises a tray portion and at leasttwo brackets 2 and 3. The tray portion comprises a bottom plate 4 andsidewalls 1, which form a receiving portion on one side of the bottomplate 4. In one example, the sidewalls 1 are about one and a half incheshigh. The receiving portion thus defined can be used to hold variousthings like tools, parts, hardware, accessories, etc. In one example,the sidewalls 1 are formed integrally with the bottom plate 4. Inanother example, the sidewalls 1 are formed independently of the bottomplate 4 and then attached to the bottom plate 4 by various manners, suchas welding, riveting, crimping, gluing, etc. The corners of thesidewalls can be manufactured in various manners and not limited towelding, riveting, crimping and gluing. Optionally, a lid (notillustrated in FIG. 1) may be provided so that the receiving portion ofthe tray portion can be covered wholly or partially. The lid may behinged to one of the sidewalls 1.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, two brackets 2 and 3 are attached to the trayportion on another side of the bottom plate 4. The two brackets 2 and 3are adapted for accommodating a portion of a vehicle, preferably a seatof a motorcycle, a quad or three wheeler dirt bike, a street bike, adual sport bike, snowmobile, personal watercraft, etc. As illustrated,the outward extension of each of the two brackets 2 and 3 from thebottom of the tray portion may form an angle with the bottom plate 4,but can also be perpendicular to the bottom plate 4.

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the tool and parts holding tray illustratedin FIG. 1. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the two brackets 2 and 3 areattached to the tray portion on an opposite side 5 of the bottom plate4. In one example, the two brackets 2 and 3 are formed integrally withthe tray portion. In another example, the two brackets 2 and 3 areformed independently of the tray portion and then attached to the bottomplate 4 of the tray portion by various manners, such as welding,riveting, crimping, gluing, etc. In the embodiment as illustrated inFIG. 2, the brackets 2 and 3 are attached to the opposite side 5 of thebottom plate 4 using rivets 6. The brackets 2 and 3 can be secured tothe opposite side 5 of the bottom plate 4 in a fixed manner; they canalso be attached to the opposite side 5 of the bottom plate 4 in variousadjustable manners, such that, for example, the distances A and B ofFIG. 2 can be adjusted. In either case, the brackets can accommodatevarious seats of different makes and models of vehicle, preferably aseat of a motorcycle, a quad or three wheeler dirt bike, a street bike,a dual sport bike, snowmobile, personal watercraft, etc. Examples ofsuch vehicles include Honda CRF450, Honda CRF250, Kawasaki KXF450,Kawasaki KXF250, Suzuki RMZ450, Suzuki RMZ250, KTM SXF450, KTM SXF250,Yamaha YZF450, Yamaha YZF250, etc. Herein, Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, KTM,and Yamaha are trademarks of corresponding vehicle manufacturers. Allforegoing products are commercially available on market.

One method of attaching the brackets 2 and 3 to the opposite side 5 ofthe bottom plate 4 in an adjustable manner would be to have studs on thebrackets that extend through slots in the bottom of the tool tray.Wing-nuts could engage the studs on the other side of the tray to holdthe brackets in place after adjustment in the slots. In otherembodiments, more than two brackets can be formed on or attached to theopposite side 5 of the bottom plate 4.

In some embodiments, the two brackets 2 and 3 are separated from eachother by about 5½ inches, illustrated as distance A, at one terminalportion of the brackets 2 and 3, and by about 4¾ inches, illustrated asdistance B, at another terminal portion of the brackets 2 and 3. In theillustrated embodiment, the bottom plate 4 is substantially rectangular.The size of the bottom plate 4 may be about sixteen inches long,illustrated by distance C, and about nine inches wide, illustrated bydistance D. These dimensions have proven useful for securing the tooland parts holding tray to many currently utilized motorcycle seats.However, the bottom plate 4 and the brackets 2 and 3 can also have othersizes or positional relationship so that the tool and parts holding traycan accommodate seats or other portions of various vehicles, such asseats of various motorcycles, quads, snowmobile, personal watercraft,and the like. This includes all after market seats as well.

The bottom plate 4, sidewalls 1, and brackets 2 and 3 as illustrated inFIGS. 1 and 2 can be of a wide variety of materials. In one example, anyone of them is made out of a quality grade aluminum. In other examples,any one of them is made out of plastic, steel, wood, stainless steel,ferrous metals or composite materials. However, the bottom plate 4,sidewalls 1, and brackets 2 and 3 are not limited to these materials.

In the embodiment as illustrated by FIGS. 1 and 2, the tool and partsholding tray can be placed onto a portion of a vehicle, for example,onto a seat of a motorcycle, a quad or three wheeler dirt bike, a streetbike, a dual sport bike, snowmobile, or personal watercraft, for placingthings like tools, parts, hardware, accessories, etc. within hands reachof the vehicle while the driver, rider, or the technician is repairingor inspecting the vehicle. Although securement to the seat of thevehicle has been found especially advantageous, the tool and partsholding tray can also be placed on the rear fender of such vehicles, onthe frame or sub frame of such vehicles, or on or under various standsthat are sold throughout the industry. These stands are mainly used forthe motorcycle to sit on. The tool and parts holding tray can also beplaced on the ground.

FIG. 3 illustrates a bottom view of a tool and parts holding trayaccording to another embodiment of the present invention. As illustratedin FIG. 3, an opposite side 5 of the bottom plate 4 has two curved sidesand round apexes. The bottom plate 4 may also comprise other contours solong as the bottom plate 4 and the sidewalls 1 form a receiving portionto hold things like tools, parts, hardware, accessories, etc.

A mat or lining may be put into or formed inside the receiving portion,on the bottom plate 4 as illustrated in FIG. 1 (not illustrated in FIG.3). The mat or lining can be of different shapes and/or textures and ofdifferent materials including rubber, vinyl, etc. and is not limited toeither. The mat or lining of the tool and parts holding tray can keepthings like tools, parts, hardware, accessories, etc. that have beenplaced inside the receiving portion clean and scratch free.

The tool and parts holding tray, at least the receiving portion, can bemagnetized so that magnetic materials placed inside the receivingportion stick to the bottom plate 4 or sidewalls 1 of the tray portionand cannot freely roll or slide around.

FIG. 4A is a sectional view of a tray portion (brackets omitted) of atool and parts holding tray according to a further embodiment of thepresent invention. As illustrated in FIG. 4, at least one of thesidewalls 1 comprises a flat extension 10 extending away from thereceiving portion formed by the sidewalls 1 and the bottom plate 4. Inone embodiment, holes or openings are formed, e.g., by drilling, on theflat extension 10 such that tools like screw drivers, pliers, knives,files, hammers, and wrenches can be accommodated in the holes oropenings formed on one or more flat extensions 10.

FIG. 4B illustrates some examples of the holes or openings formed on oneor more flat extensions 10 of the tool and parts holding tray asillustrated in FIG. 4A. FIG. 4B illustrates a segment of the flatextension 10 only. As illustrated in FIG. 4B, the holes or openings maycomprise different shapes or contours. A hole or opening may comprisesan open contour (e.g., the hole or opening 20) or a closed contour(e.g., the hole or opening 30) with respect to the outer edge of theflat extension 10.

The tool and parts holding tray can also have protective materialsapplied to the bottom or the inside, such as by spray coating. The colorof the tool seat may also vary throughout. The colors can be painted onand are not limited to application. They can also be powder coated.

FIG. 5 is an illustration of a seat mountable tool and parts holdingtray that has been mounted on a vehicle. As illustrated in FIG. 5, thetool and parts holding tray has been mounted on the seat 51 of a vehicle52, in which the bracket 3 on one side of the seat 51 and the bracket 2(not illustrated) on another side of the seat 51 accommodate the seat 51so that the tool and parts holding tray is securely mounted or placed onthe seat 51 of the vehicle 52. Also as illustrated in FIG. 5, a piece ofhardware 53 is held in the receiving portion as defined by the bottomplate 4 and the sidewalls 1 of the tool and part holding tray.

FIG. 6 is another illustration of a seat mountable tool and partsholding tray that has been mounted on another vehicle. As illustrated inFIG. 6, the tool and parts holding tray has been mounted on a portion 61of a vehicle 62, in which the brackets 2 and 3 of the tool and partsholding tray accommodate the portion 61 of the vehicle 62. Also asillustrated in FIG. 6, an opposite side 5 of a bottom plate of the tooland parts holding tray rests on the top of the portion 61 of the vehicle62. In the receiving portion (not illustrated) as defined by the bottomplate and the sidewalls 1 of the tool and parts holding tray, thingslike tools, parts, hardware, accessories, etc. can be put and held.

In addition to seat mounting, the tool and parts holding tray can beattached to other parts of the vehicle. In some cases, removal of theseat is desired. With the above described design, the tool and partsholding tray can be rotated 180 degrees, and will in many cases fit wellon the sub-frame underneath the seat. In many cases, the design is alsosuitable for resting securely on the rear fender.

FIG. 7 is an illustration of a vehicle being inspected, onto which atool and parts holding tray has been mounted. As illustrated in FIG. 7,the tool and parts holding tray 71 has been mounted on a portion of thevehicle 72; tools, parts, hardware, accessories, etc. can be put andheld in the tool and parts holding tray; a person 73 is inspecting thevehicle 72. Such a person can get access to things like tools, parts,hardware, accessories, etc. that have been placed in the tool and partsholding tray within hands reach of the vehicle 72.

The tool and parts holding tray as illustrated and described above canbe used at various places, including vehicle shops, home or officegarages, roadsides, beaches, competition fields, etc.

Although this invention has been disclosed in the context of certainembodiments and examples, the present invention extends beyond thespecifically disclosed embodiments to other alternative embodimentsand/or uses and obvious modifications and equivalents thereof. Inaddition, while several variations have been shown and described indetail, other modifications, which are within the scope of thisdisclosure, will be readily apparent. It is also contemplated thatvarious combinations or sub-combinations of the specific features andaspects of the embodiments may be made. It should be understood thatvarious features and aspects of the disclosed embodiments can becombined with, or substituted for, one another in order to form varyingmodes of the disclosed embodiments. Thus, it is intended that the scopeof the present invention herein disclosed should not be limited by theparticular disclosed embodiments described above, but should bedetermined only by the claims that follow.

1. A tool and parts holding tray comprising: a tray portion comprising abottom plate and side walls, the bottom plate and the sidewalls forminga receiving portion on one side of the bottom plate; and at least twobrackets attached to the tray portion on another side of the bottomplate, adapted for accommodating a portion of a vehicle.
 2. The tool andparts holding tray of claim 1, wherein the at least two brackets areadapted for accommodating a seat of the vehicle.
 3. The tool and partsholding tray of claim 1, wherein the at least two brackets are separatedfrom each other by about 4 and ¾ inches at one terminal portion of theat least two brackets and about 5 and ½ inches at another terminalportion of the at least two brackets.
 4. The tool and parts holding trayof claim 1, wherein the bottom plate comprises a substantiallyrectangular plate that has a side length of about 9 inches and anotherside length of about 16 inches.
 5. The tool and parts holding tray ofclaim 2, wherein the bottom plate comprises a substantially oval platethat has a short axis of about 9 inches and a long axis of about 16inches.
 6. The tool and parts holding tray of claim 1, wherein at leastone of the sidewalls comprises a flat extension to a side of thereceiving portion.
 7. The tool and parts holding tray of claim 6,wherein the flat extension comprises at least one opening, the at leastone opening comprising a closed contour or an open contour.
 8. The tooland parts holding tray of claim 1, wherein the at least two brackets arenon-parallel to each other.
 9. The tool and parts holding tray of claim1, additionally comprising a third bracket attached to the tray portionon the other side of the bottom plate, adapted for accommodating theportion of the vehicle.
 10. The tool and parts holding tray of claim 1,wherein at least one of the tray portion and the at least two bracketsis made of a material selected from a group of aluminum, stainlesssteel, steel, ferrous metal, plastic, wood, and composite materials. 11.A method of holding a tool or part to a portion of a vehicle comprising:resting a tool and parts holding tray on the portion of the vehicle,wherein the tool and parts holding tray comprises a tray portion and atleast two brackets, wherein the tray portion comprises a bottom plateand side walls, the bottom plate and the sidewalls forming a receivingportion on one side of the bottom plate, and wherein the at least twobrackets are attached to the tray portion on another side of the bottomplate; and accommodating the portion of the vehicle with the at leasttwo brackets.
 12. The method of claim 11, wherein accommodating theportion of the vehicle comprises placing a seat of the vehicle betweenthe at least two brackets.
 13. The method of claim 11, additionallycomprising placing the tool or part in the receiving portion.
 14. Themethod of claim 11, wherein at least one of the sidewalls comprises aflat extension to a side of the receiving portion, and the methodadditionally comprises placing the tool or part on the flat extension.15. The method of claim 14, wherein the flat extension comprises atleast one opening, the at least one opening comprising a closed or opencontour, and the placing the tool or part on the flat extensioncomprises placing the tool or part in the at least one opening.
 16. Themethod of claim 11, additionally comprising adjusting a positionalrelationship between the at least two brackets based upon a contour ofthe portion of the vehicle so that the at least two brackets accommodatethe portion of the vehicle in a substantially secured manner.
 17. Themethod of claim 11, wherein the tool and parts holding tray additionallycomprises a third bracket attached to the tray portion on the other sideof the bottom plate, and the method additionally comprising attachingthe third bracket to the portion of the vehicle.